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Books for Keeps 170 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 170 - May 2008

Cover Story
This issue’s cover illustration is from Frank Cottrell Boyce’s Cosmic. Frank Cottrell Boyce is interviewed by George Hunt. Thanks to Macmillan Children’s Books for their help with this May cover.

BfK No. 170 Articles

Editorial – May 2008

News and comment from the Editor.
Libraries for Living: the KidsLibs Trust Kenya

Beverley Naidoo describes how recent events have affected community libraries.

Laureate Log - May 2008

Michael Rosen reports on his laureateship.
Reading in the Middle Years (9-11): Including all children

Kimberly Safford stresses the importance of inclusion.
Windows into Illustration: Neal Layton

Neal Layton explains his approach to Emily Brown and the THING.
The Branford Boase Award

Julia Eccleshare discusses its impact.
Authorgraph No.170: Frank Cottrell Boyce

Frank Cottrell Boyce interviewed by George Hunt.
I Wish I’d Written... The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Graham Marks chooses Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
Hal’s Reading Diary - May 2008

Roger Mills on how Hal's frustration can get in his way.
Letter to the Editor - May 2008

Theresa Heine writes about Ally Kennen's Berserk.
Classics in Short No.69: A Picture History of Britain

Brian Alderson on Clarke Hutton's A Picture History of Britain.

Editor's Choice

The Island
Armin Greder
(Allen & Unwin)
5

First published in Germany in 2002, this large format picture book is a powerful fable for our times. A man is washed up on a beach and his arrival provokes fear in the people that find him because ‘he wasn’t like them’. Grudgingly they allow him...

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New Talent

Evil Weasel
Hannah Shaw
(Jonathan Cape)
4

Small children love a thoroughly bad character and Evil Weasel is a rich and powerful show-off, a bully and a sneak who plays mean tricks on everyone. But when no one comes to his party, Weasel feels let down: after all it ‘isn’t much fun when...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 170

  • Under 5s
  • Ages 5-8
  • Ages 8-10
  • Ages 10-14
  • Ages 14+
  • Books About Children's Books

Under 5s

  • Mammoth Pie
    Jeanne Willis
    5

  • The Little Rabbit Who Liked to Say MOO
    Jonathan Allen
    5

  • Molly and the Night Monster
    Chris Wormell
    4

  • Lucy Goosey
    Margaret Wild
    4

  • How Big Is the World?
    Britta Teckentrup
    4

  • A Hole in the Road
    Jakki Wood
    4

  • Fleabag
    Helen Stephens
    4

  • Evil Weasel
    Hannah Shaw
    4

  • The Three Wishes
    David Melling
    3

  • Ten on a Train
    John O'Leary
    3

Ages 5-8

  • Rumblewick Letters, The: My Unwilling Witch!
    Hiawyn Oram
    4

  • The Reluctant Dragon
    Kenneth Grahame
    4

  • A Mummy for Owen
    Marion Dane Bauer
    4

  • The Moon in Swampland
    4

  • Don't Be Horrid, Henry!
    Francesca Simon
    4

  • Catch that Crocodile!
    Anushka Ravishankar
    4

  • Big Ben
    Rachel Anderson
    4

  • Ape
    Martin Jenkins
    4

  • Anna Hibiscus
    Atinuke
    4

  • Elephant's Story
    Harriet Blackford
    3

  • Best Dog Bonnie
    Bel Mooney
    3

  • Boys Are Best!
    Manuela Olten
    2

  • Growing Green: A young person's guide to taking care of the planet
    Christina Goodings
    1

  • The Beeman
    Laurie Krebs
    1

Ages 8-10

  • Dinomummy
    Dr Phillip Lars Manning
    5

  • What's Eating You? Parasites - the Inside Story
    Nicola Davies
    4

  • Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister
    Liz Kessler
    4

  • The Oxford Book of Bible Stories
    Berlie Doherty
    4

  • The Island that Moved
    Meredith Hooper
    4

  • Mr Gum and the Power Crystals
    Andy Stanton
    3

  • The Dragon of Krakow and other Polish Stories; A Fistful of Pearls and other tales from Iraq
    Richard Monte
    3

  • The Cursed Sword
    Rosalind Kerven
    3

  • The Urban Turbans
    Dahlian Kirby
    2

  • The Other Book
    Philip Womack
    2

  • The Curious Boy's Book of Adventure
    Sam Martin
    2

Ages 10-14

  • The Master of the Fallen Chairs
    Henry Porter
    5

  • Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City
    Kirsten Miller
    5

  • The Island
    Armin Greder
    5

  • The Arrival
    Shaun Tan
    5

  • Airman
    Eoin Colfer
    5

  • Ways to Live Forever
    Sally Nicholls
    4

  • Space Encyclopedia
    Caroline Bingham
    4

  • The Prison Runner
    Deborah Ellis
    4

  • The Nostradamus Prophecy
    Theresa Breslin
    4

  • The Game
    Diana Wynne Jones
    4

  • Dragonfly
    Julia Golding
    4

  • Chicken Dance
    Jacques Couvillon
    4

  • The Book of a Thousand Days
    Shannon Hale
    4

  • Space Cowboy
    Justin Stanchfield
    3

  • Hox
    Annemarie Allan
    3

  • The Anglo-Saxons in Britain; The Celts in Britain
    Robert Hull
    3

  • The Case of the Limehouse Laundry
    Anthony Read
    3

  • The Fire of Ares
    Michael Ford
    2

  • Eye of the Moon
    Dianne Hofmeyr
    2

  • Tom Fletcher and the Angel of Death
    Sarah Matthias
    1

  • The Arab-Israeli Conflict
    Cath Senker
    1

Ages 14+

  • Extras
    Scott Westerfeld
    5

  • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian
    Sherman Alexie
    5

  • Shakespeare's Apprentice
    Veronica Bennett
    4

  • Secret Schemes and Daring Dreams
    Rosie Rushton
    4

  • Newes from the Dead
    Mary Hooper
    4

  • Bog Child
    Siobhan Dowd
    4

  • Blade: Playing Dead
    Tim Bowler
    4

  • Black Mail
    Thomas Feibel
    4

  • The Kissing Club
    Julia Clarke
    3

  • Slave Harvest
    Andrew Butcher
    2

  • Eclipse
    Stephenie Meyer
    2

Books About Children's Books

  • The Ultimate First Book Guide
    5

  • A Child's History of England
    Charles Dickens
    3

BfK News

NATASHA FARRANT WINS 2020 COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

Natasha Farrant

Writer and literary scout Natasha Farrant has won the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award for Voyage of the Sparrowhawk, a book which the judges described as ‘pure heavenly escapism and a purely joyful read.’

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ROBIN WALKER WINS THE 2020 ALCS EDUCATIONAL WRITERS’ AWARD FOR BLACK HISTORY MATTERS

The winner of the 2020 ALCS Educational Writers’ Award is Black History Matters: The Story of Black History, From African Kingdoms to Black Lives Matter. Written by acclaimed Black historian, Robin Walker, the 2020 judges praised this accessible, comprehensive and inspiring book which provides a timely introduction both to Black history and the Black Lives Matter movement.

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IBBY UK nominate Marcus Sedgwick and David McKee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award 2022

IBBY UK has announced that Marcus Sedgwick and David McKee will be the UK nominations for the 2022 Hans Christian Andersen Award.

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SHORTLIST FOR THE COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

Debut authors Darren Charlton and Jenny Pearson join Natasha Farrant and Meg Rosoff on the shortlist for the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award.

The shortlist for the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award has been announced. No less than 146 books were submitted and from those the judges have chosen a shortlist of four. They are:

Wranglestone by Darren Charlton (Little Tiger)

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BOOKTRUST’S REPRESENTS INTERIM RESEARCH & CLPE REFLECTING REALITIES SURVEY 2020

CLPE Reflecting Realities Report 2020

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SHORTLIST FOR THE 2021 BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDS REVEALED

The six books shortlisted for the 2021 Blue Peter Book Awards have been announced.

Blue Peter Book Award logo

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Happy National Non-Fiction November 2020

It’s National Non-Fiction November! Organised by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups, National Non-Fiction November is an annual celebration of the power of non-fiction to inspire children and celebrate readers who have a passion for information and facts. 2020 is the 10th anniversary of National Non-Fiction November.

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JANE PORTER AND MAISIE PARADISE SHEARRING 2020 LITTLE REBELS AWARD WINNERS

Jane Porter and Maisie Paradise Shearring have won the 2020 Little Rebels Award for their picture book The Boy who Loved Everyone. They will share the £2000 prize.

Little Rebels logo 2020

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OU AND MACMILLAN CHILDREN’S BOOKS LAUNCH BOOK CHAT SCHEME

The Open University (OU) is launching Book Chat: Reading with your Child, a resource which comprises three short films and support materials to help parents, families and carers read books conversationally and creatively to children. Working with Macmillan Children’s Books, the films use a selection of their picture books and a poetry collection to support families with reading to different ages of children.

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TOM PALMER WINS THE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

Tom Palmer

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